Charges Considered

In Death On Cruise

Investigators were trying to determine on Tuesday whether state or federal laws apply to the case of a 14-year-old boy who died after drinking too much liquor on a Caribbean cruise.

The Majesty of the Seas was in international waters east of Cuba when Hayman Ronald Lucas, of Elmont, N.Y., died on Friday morning.

While the U.S. government has jurisdiction over crimes on the high seas, regulatory state laws normally don't apply to ships in international waters. Florida law says no one under age 21 can be sold, served or given alcohol.

"It's a very unique case and not something that occurs often. It's something that must be handled very carefully. At this point, we're not sure which laws apply," Metro-Dade Police spokesman Steve Ellison said.

Metro-Dade detectives are in vestigating the incident that led to the boy's death. The findings will be presented to the State At torney's Office in Dade County, which will determine whether a state or federal crime was com mitted, Ellison said.

It is unclear who could be charged in the boy's death if authorities determine someone broke the law. It's also uncertain whether the charges would involve a violation of the state's drinking law or a more serious crime.

Royal Caribbean, the ship's operator, said Lucas got the liquor from a 24-year-old adult who purchased it at one of the ports of call, company spokesman Rich Steck said. The ship returned on Sunday to the Port of Miami after a seven-day cruise with stops in Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Cay man; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and the Coco Cay, a privately owned is land in the Bahamas.

Police did not identify the 24year-old adult or say whether he is a suspect.

The FBI, which is also investigating the case, said it has found no indication that the boy's death is crime-related.

FBI spokesman Paul Miller said federal agents have talked with cruise line officials and Met ro-Dade Police. Authorities are investigating the facts in the death of Lucas, who was seen staggering back to his cabin on Friday morning.

According to the cruise company and police, here's what happened: Lucas had been drinking hard liquor, possibly tequila and rum, with some young friends on the ship deck. He had just met the 24year-old adult, who is thought to have purchased the liquor in Cozumel, and shared it with the youngster.

A ship guard later noticed that Lucas was having difficulty making it back to his lower-deck cabin and offered to help. The boy joked with the guard, asking whether he should tip him.

When they reached the cabin, boy's father, Ronald Lucas, and his stepmother, Sonya Lucas, asked the guard to lay him on the floor. They thought the boy would be safer there than on his upper bunk bed.

At 11:15 a.m., Sonya Lucas called the ship's infirmary to report that her stepson had vomited earlier and now had stopped breathing.

A ship doctor and two nurses tried to revive the boy in his cab in. When that failed, they rushed him to the infirmary and tried ap plying an electric charge to his heart.

The Dade County Medical Ex aminer's office said Lucas had a blood alcohol level of 0.29 when he died. This is more than three times the .08 level at which Florida law says a person is legally drunk.

Lucas was to enter the ninth grade at Floral Park Memorial High School in western Nassau County this fall. He played football and alto saxophone in junior high.

The boy lived with his mother, Fay Bonneu, who could not be reached for comment. His father and stepmother live in Corona, N.Y., and also could not be reached.

Although state drinking laws don't apply in international waters, cruise lines have their own drinking-age standards.

Royal Caribbean, the line that runs the Majesty of the Seas, does not sell alcohol to anyone under 18, company spokesman Steck said. The cruise ship doesn't accept cash on board and issues credit cards to passengers. It codes the cards of minors so that they cannot purchase alcohol at ship bars or restaurants.